Speed/distance measuring assembly for runner

ABSTRACT

Method and assembly for measuring the speed of or distance covered by a runner. According to the invention, the angular displacement of the foot is measured, and the distance of the trunk from a reference, such as the foot or the ground, is determined. On the basis of these data it is possible to calculate the speed or distance.

The invention relates to a speed/distance meter assembly for a runner/jogger, walker.

The need for such a assembly, also called a pedometer, has alreadyexisted for a long time. For example, such a movement meter is describedin German Offenlegungsschrift 3,514,130, in the case of which the numberof steps is recorded, and the distance covered is determined from thatnumber. How this is carried out is not clear, but it is assumed that thedistance covered with each step is probably constant. This means thatthis distance needs to be determined in some way beforehand.

It is not simple to determine the distance from the number of stepstaken. For the length of the steps is not necessarily constant. Besides,it is possible that for part of the movement the runner is not incontact with the ground. Such complicating factors make the devicedescribed in German Offenlegungsschrift 3,514,130 completely pointlessfor a habitual runner.

The object of the present invention is to provide a speed/distance meterassembly which does not have these disadvantages.

This object is achieved in the case of an assembly of the type describedabove in that said assembly comprises angular speed-measuring means fordetermining the speed of the angle change of the foot relative to areference, distance-measuring means for constantly measuring the currentdistance of the trunk from a further reference, and processing meanswhich on the basis of the angular speed and the current distancedetermine the distance travelled and/or the speed achieved. The pivotmovement which the leg makes about the contact point of the foot withthe ground during running is the basis of the present invention. Thisangle change can be established by determining the angle change of aline drawn between a certain point on the foot and the trunk. Thevertical is preferably used as the reference for the angle change. Forthe position of the angle relative to the horizontal is important forderiving the horizontal displacement from the angle change.

The further reference, relative to which the distance is measured, canbe, for example, the ground. However, it is preferably the foot, sincemeans can easily be fitted there for establishing the distanceaccurately.

It has been found that, apart from the angular displacement of the legrelative to the trunk, not to mention the leg relative to the verticalor horizontal, the distance between trunk and foot or trunk and groundor any other reference is important for determining the speed.

In principle, it is possible to measure the movement of only one legrelative to the trunk. However, a more accurate result is obtained ifthe angular displacement of both legs relative to the trunk and theirdistance from the ground are measured. Of course, it is also possible todetermine the angle between the legs. As already indicated above, "legs"should be understood as the imaginary line drawn through the pivot pointof the thigh in the pelvis, or a point slightly higher up, and a pointon the runner's foot.

As soon as the runner/walker is moving faster, there will come a certainpoint when neither of his legs is any longer in contact with the ground.The runner is making a jumping movement. It is necessary to take specialmeasures to make a correction for such a span where there is no contactwith the ground. This can be achieved according to a special embodimentof the invention through the fitting of contact means which determinethe contact of the body with the ground, and which are connected to theprocessing means. All contact means known in the prior art can be usedfor this purpose. Moreover, the speed taken for the movement of the bodywhen there is no contact with the ground is preferably the speed whichcorresponds to the last speed measured in the abovementioned way.

The invention also relates to a shoe provided with the appropriatesensors for determining the distance from the trunk and for determiningthe angle relative to the trunk. All means known in the prior art can beused. The processing assembly will preferably be situated near therunner's middle and will in some way transmit beams to the sensor on thefoot, which are processed in some way and reflected back.

The invention also relates to a method for measuring a speed of a runneror the distance covered by a runner, comprising:

measuring the distance between a part of the body of the runner whichmoves essentially uniformly during forward movement and a reference, and

measuring the angular speed of an imaginary part formed by the straightline drawn through the contact point of the runner's foot with theground from the pivot point of that leg of the runner in his pelvis.

As already indicated above, this distance measurement is preferablycarried out by measuring the distance between the trunk and the foot,more particularly near the contact point of the foot and the ground.However, it is also possible to measure the distance between trunk andground directly.

The invention will be explained in greater detail below with referenceto an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a runner provided with the assembly according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows the lower part of the body of the runner in differentpositions;

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically the movement sequence in a running/walkingmovement during which there is not always contact with the ground.

FIG. 1 shows a runner who is indicated in his entirety by 1. He isprovided around his middle with a band or belt 2 on which a centraltransmitting/processing assembly 3 is fitted. The shoe 4 of the runneris provided with a transmitting/processing assembly 5. In addition, acontact sensor 6 is fitted on the underside of the shoe. The way inwhich the device works will be illustrated with reference to FIG. 2.During movement of the runner the distance between the pivot point ofthe thigh in the pelvis, which is indicated by 7 and approximately wherethe transmitting/processing assembly 3 is situated, and the centraltransmitting/processing assembly 5 on the foot is determined. Inaddition, the angle of the line 3-5 indicated in the drawing by α ismeasured relative to the vertical. The runner then moves to the right,as shown in the right-hand part of FIG. 2. In the course of this adistance a is covered. This distance can be determined by determiningthe distance 3'5 and determining the angle α` shown in the right-handpart of FIG. 2. In this way the triangle shown by solid lines isestablished. After the distance is known, it is easy to determine thespeed, taking into account the time which has elapsed. The runningmovement of a person can be established unequivocally in this way. Thesedata can be read out, printed out and/or stored and read out later.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, it is, however, possible that there is nocontact with the ground for a certain period. The footprints of therunner are shown by 8, 9 and 10. In the spans indicated by 1l and 12there is no contact with the ground. According to the invention, thedevice is designed in such a way that at the moment when contact is lost(indicated by 13 for interval 11) and up to the moment when contact isre-established (which moment is indicated by 14 for interval 11) thelast known speed is assumed be constant for the span 13-14. Whether ornot contact is made with the ground is detected by means of contactsensor 6.

The positioning of the transmitting/processing assembly 5 can inprinciple be at any point of the foot, although in special cases acorrection will be necessary in the central transmitting/processingassembly. However, it is preferably placed in the front part of theshoe, with the result that the distance from the contact sensor 6 canalso remain relatively short.

Fitting the processing assembly at the front part of the shoe has thefurther advantage that the measurement is accurate because the frontpart of the shoe is in contact with the ground for longer than the heel.In fact, this part of the foot executes a rolling movement. It is alsopossible to fit both the contact sensor and assembly 3 near the heel.Moreover, it is conceivable to design the contact sensor as a shocksensor, so that the fitting position on the foot is not critical.Depending on the possibilities of the two transmitting/processingassemblys, the time interval during which measurement is carried out canbe selected longer or shorter. The shorter the interval, the moreaccurate the measurement. The result of the running can then be storedin the transmitting/processing assembly 3, or it can be read outdirectly in some way by means of a display.

This and further variants of embodiment are within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:
 1. Speed/distance meter assembly for a runner/walker, comprising angular speed-measuring means for determining the speed of the angle change in the straight line drawn between the foot of the runner and a point near the pivot point of the leg in question in the pelvis relative to a reference, distance-measuring means for constantly measuring the current distance of the trunk from a further reference, and processing means which on the basis of the angular speed and the current distance determine the distance travelled and/or the speed achieved.
 2. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, in which said reference comprises the vertical.
 3. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, in which said further reference comprises a foot.
 4. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, in which the angular speed-measuring means for determining the speed of the angle change of the leg relative to the trunk comprise sensor means fitted near the pivot point of the thigh with the trunk, and sensor means interacting therewith and fitted on the runner's foot.
 5. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, in which contact means are provided which determine the contact of the body with the ground, and which are connected to the processing means.
 6. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, arranged in such a way that when there is no contact between the foot and the ground the speed of the body is taken as essentially corresponding to the speed during the last moment of contact with the ground.
 7. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, in which an angular speed-measuring means and a distance-measuring means are fitted for each leg.
 8. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 1, comprising a shoe provided with a sensor for determining the distance from the trunk.
 9. Speed/distance meter assembly according to claim 8, in which said sensor is fitted in the toe part of the shoe.
 10. Method for measuring a speed of a runner or the distance covered by a runner, comprising:measuring the distance between a part of the body of the runner which moves essentially uniformly during forward movement and a reference, and measuring the angular speed of an imaginary part formed by the straight line drawn through the contact point of the runner's foot with the ground from the pivot point of said leg of the runner in his pelvis.
 11. Method according to claim 10, in which measuring the distance to the ground comprises measuring the distance to the contact point of the runner's foot with the ground. 